Letters: Superstorm Sandy, energy policy and climate change

While the climate system has many tipping points, Superstorm Sandy may have marked one of the more important in terms of public opinion. At the very least, it has blown away the absurd political taboo against talking about a subject we can easily do something about.

For instance, action in the form of a 100% revenue-neutral carbon fee, with all revenue recycled back to citizens, would reduce our dependency on foreign oil, help American businesses and boost the economy by putting money into the hands of the poor and the jobless.

While tragic in its destruction of life and property, if Sandy is the event that finally pushes us to take substantive action, it will add a silver lining to an otherwise very dark cloud.

Daniel Richter

San Diego

The biggest threat to this country is climate change. No sovereign nation can have policies that increase the strength of hurricanes in the Atlantic, increase the length of droughts across the Midwest or cause mass health effects across the country due to the warmest summer in decades.

The economic cost of nature's reactions will far exceed the cost of any global conflict: compare estimates of Sandy's costs to a month of war in Afghanistan.

The U.S. government needs to confront this urgent threat by implementing effective policies at home and in the global community.

Jeff TippmannDel Mar

Why wasn't climate change brought up in the presidential debates? Is this topic truly so politically unpalatable?

The economy and the environment are joined; the best way to begin combating climate change is with a market-based solution like a carbon tax, as well as investments in green tech-sector jobs and science education, all of which benefit the U.S. economy.

Tristan M. CarlandSan Diego

Now that Proposition 30 has perhaps put the budget crisis behind us, and California Democrats have a likely super-majority in the Legislature, it is time to focus on Sandy's lessons and address climate change.

California should be a national leader and foster the installation of solar panels on as many rooftops as possible, which would lead to job growth. Enact tax credits and subsidies of solar panels made in California. The super-majority could pay for it by passing an oil severance tax.

For too long, the Legislature has failed to rectify the injustice of oil companies extracting a natural resource belonging to all California citizens without compensating us.

Now is the time.

Lloyd A. DentStudio City

If Sandy actually stalled Mitt Romney's momentum, causing him to lose the election, maybe God is telling the Republicans that climate change is real, has consequences, and that they need to immediately address the issue.